Room to Grow Scholarships Giving Hope and Opportunity to Orphans in India
Located in a residential area of central Delhi called Patel Nagar, Muneer Balika Ashralaya (Muneer Girls' Orphanage) was set up by the Muneer Social Welfare Society in 1999 following a horrible fire that took place in Yamuna Pushta Slum in Delhi. Many lives were lost and many families lost their home and their belongings. Children were left homeless, orphaned, and in serious danger. Young orphaned girls in particular were vulnerable to violence and abuse.
In response to this disaster, the Muneer Orphanage was opened for 13 girls ages 6-18. Years later, it is now home to 25 girls aged 4-17 years who do not have parents or whose parents are unable to support their children. These girls have come from different parts of Delhi and were living in difficult and some-times life threatening circumstances. Now at the orphanage, these girls live as one happy family together.
Room to Read is supporting the long-term education of all 25 girls through our Room to Grow Scholarship Program, which provides them the resources they need to succeed in school. Two of the girls are profiled below.
Barkha
Barkha is one of Room to Read's youngest Room to Grow scholars in India. An only child, she grew up in Madanpur Khadar, a low-income rural area on the outskirts of Delhi. When Barkha lost her mother to a fire when she was one, she was left with her 80 year-old grandfather whose only income was his pension of Rs 1000/month (less than one dollar a day). Unable to afford Barkha's food and education, he admitted her to an orphanage so she could have a secure life, and he could visit her on weekends.
Though Barkha just joined the orphanage in March 2006, she quickly made friends with other scholars at the orphanage. Being the youngest and newest to the orphanage, she receives lots of love and support from the rest of the children staying there. Although it is definitely a tough time for her, she is adjusting and performing well. On a visit to the orphanage nearly a year after Barkha arrived, Room to Read staff and some of our donors from Accenture were entertained and charmed by young Barkha's happy, carefree personality. She is looked after like a younger sibling by all the girls, yet seems to always be in the thick of things. Her education is assured now and her future is promising.
Isha
Before moving to the ophange, Isha lived in a poor resettlement area in the South District of Delhi. Although her mother, Kusum bibi, worked as a maid, her earnings were too meager to support the day to day needs of her children. She was always worried about the safety of her daughter while she was away at work. She admitted Isha to the orphanage in 2002, so that the young girl could continue to study and build a better future for herself. Now in grade 7, 12-year-old Isha is a strong student with a bright future. Last year, she secured second position in her class. She participates in a variety of school activities. On a recent visit to the orphanage, Isha wowed an audience with a Bollywood dance routine. In addition to dancing, she loves to sing and play cricket and has enrolled in stitching classes. Isha dreams of becoming a doctor when she grows up.
Isha and Barkha are but two examples of the girls flourishing in the Room to Grow Scholarship Program. With the help of Room to Read and other fantastic organizations like Muneer Social Welfare Society, these girls have gone from struggling day to day to having dreams, high hopes, and the promise of a better future.
